by Mike Hembree, Special for USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Hembree, Special for USA TODAY Sports

SONOMA, Calif. - No one would be surprised to find a "Wanted" poster with Jacques Villeneuve's photograph tacked onto a pole this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

When the announcement was made recently that Villeneuve would return to NASCAR racing in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350, groans in the garage area were almost audible.

Fair or not (and Villeneuve says it's unfair), he is viewed as somewhat of a menace when he straps into a NASCAR race car on road courses. Incidents involving Villeneuve over the past few years have given him a reputation as a loose cannon, a driver who tries to make passes with little regard for those around him.

He admits to making a mistake in the Nationwide race at Road America two years ago, starting an incident that ultimately involved several cars. Then he hit Danica Patrick in the same race last year on the final lap, angering Patrick and underlining the dark side of his reputation.

Patrick, asked about Villeneuve, a former world champion in Formula One racing and an Indianapolis 500 winner, here on Friday, wasn't kind.

"You know, after the things that have happened, it's hard to have a lot of respect for somebody like that," she said. "I respect what he's done in his career, but the way he treats other drivers on the track, I can't. So, that's all there is to say."

Asked to describe the first thing that pops in his mind when Villeneuve's name is mentioned, Cup veteran Clint Bowyer said, "Train wreck. Extremely fast train, but (it) usually ends up derailed somehow. â?¦ We've all seen what will happen in those Nationwide races, and it was too bad because there seemed to be one common denominator in a lot of the cautions that came out."

Villeneuve qualified 22nd Saturday for what will be only his fourth Sprint Cup race - and his first on a road course. Relaxing in his team transporter a few minutes later, he said his sour reputation in NASCAR circles has been "blown out of proportion.

"I did one incident two years ago (at Road America) that took people out by making a mistake," he said. "That's bad, but it wasn't a case of taking people out to move to the front. The rest of the time, I've been taken out more than I've taken out people.

"It's been blown out of proportion mostly because last year I ran into Danica, and that creates a lot more attention than it normally would. Had I taken her out on purpose, fine, I wouldn't mind."

Villeneuve, a Canadian who now resides in the small country of Andorra south of France, said the situation will not impact how he races Sunday.

"This just got blown out, and I have no idea why, and now I'm stuck with it," he said. "That's life. There's nothing I can do to change that."

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